Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Kendell, David J., Collection, 1933-1974, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The David J. Kendell Collection consists of photographs, letters, diplomas, contracts certifications, pamphlets, new clippings, and other items all pertaining to Kendall’s time as a student at the Kansas State Teacher’s College, and his subsequent teaching career.

David Kendall was born to David E. “Al” and Lottie Kendall in 1929 in Pittsburg, Kansas. In 1933, his father opened a small grocery store (Al’s Grocery) on 112 E Williams St, where Hughes Hall on the PSU campus is now located. Kendall attended the Horace Mann School and the College High School, both run by the college. He then attended the …

Knadle, Lillian, Collection, 1848-1998, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Lillian Knadle Collection consists of personal correspondence, photographs, sampler, genealogy records, maps, and other miscellaneous materials.

Ann (Meats) Long was born in 1836 in Burghill, Herefordshire, United Kingdom. She came with her family to the United States around 1848. Ann married McHenry Long and they lived in Benton, Missouri until her death in 1900. Her granddaughter, Lillian Eureka Long was born in 1905 in Cass County, Missouri. Lillian attended the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) and afterwards worked as a teacher in Independence, Kansas. Lillian married Harold P. Hall (1893 - 1950), and after his …

Laine And Buset Family Collection, 1916-1937, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Laine-Buset Family Collection consists of 13 photographs, two news articles, a leather bound Little Blue Book, and an Abraham Lincoln pamphlet. Several hundred Little Blue Books, published in Girard, Kansas by Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, were also donated and added to the library’s Little Blue Book Collection.

Frank E. Laine (1909 - 1999) and Della Buset (1910 - 1992) grew up in the mining communities in Crawford County, Kansas, attending schools in Arma, Kansas. In 1938 they married. Della worked as a teacher in Crawford County schools, after attending what is now Pittsburg State University.

Harmon, Stephen, Collection, 1960-2020, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Stephen Harmon Collection consists of the career and professorial works of Stephen Harmon consisting of his papers, classes, bibliographies, journals, magazines, leading up to his career at Pittsburg State University.

Stephen A. Harmon was born on June 15, 1945 in St. Louis, MO to Jim and Alice Harmon. In 1968, after marrying Fritzi Drosten, Harmon and Drosten moved to San Francisco. Dr. Stephen Harmon received his B.A. from San Francisco State University in the Spring of 1979 and he received his Master’s degree in June 1981. At SFSU, he spent a year in Madrid, Spain, studying at the Complutense …

Hugo, George B., Collection, 1909-1919, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The George B. Hugo Correspondence consists of his book Socialism: The Creed of Despair and 25 letters related to its publication.

George B. Hugo was born in 1866 in Massachusetts to French immigrants. Hugo married Jennie Saulsbury in 1888 in Boston and in 1893 a daughter they named Ruth was born. In Boston, Massachusetts, George worked as a merchant. In 1909 he published his book, Socialism: The Creed of Despair. The book is further described as a “Joint Debate in Faneuil Hall, March 22, 1909 between George B. Hugo, President Employers' Association of Massachusetts, Affirmative, and James F. Carey, …

Hashbarger, Elmer E., Photographs, 1890-1895, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Elmer E. Hashbarger photographs consist of several albumen print photographs of Hashbarger’s work as a cattle driver.

Elmer Ellsworth Hashbarger was born in Richland, Ohio in 1866 to Andrew and Mary Hashbarger. His family eventually moved to Kincaid, Kansas. Harshbarger worked as a cattle driver in the Oklahoma panhandle. In Beaver, Oklahoma, he married Ida Scott, a marriage that produced four children. In his later years he moved back to the township of Rich, east of Kincaid. Elmer died in 1935.

Stowe, Clara, Collection, 1878-1881, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Clara Stowe Letters consists of four letters from Clara F. Stowe to Elmere W. White (her future husband), from 1878 to 1881.

Clara Florence Stowe was born in 1859 in Lawrence, Kansas. Elmere Warren White was born in 1855 in Vermont and came to Kansas with his parents during his childhood. Clara and Elmere became acquainted and courted, marrying 1883. They had one daughter, Carolyn (1886-1979). For most of his life, Elmere worked as a rancher. In 1920 the family moved to Donna, Texas. Elmere died in 1937 and Clara in 1941.

Skaer, Georgia Blaney, Collection, 1926-1960, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection includes personal correspondence, poems, and society materials owned or relating to Georgia Blaney Skaer.

Georgia (Blaney) Skaer was born on August 28, 1883 in Bigelow, Kansas to George Josiah Blaney and Anna Christine (Carlson) Blaney. She attended Kansas State College (today, Kansas State University), graduating in 1904. She married Augustus “Gus” Phillip Skaer (1862-1947), and they lived in Augusta, Kansas. Skaer took up writing, mostly poetry, and entered poems in contests, and submitted poems for anthologies. Some would be published. In 1927 she published Women of the Bible, Burton Publishing Company, Kansas City. published in 1927. Poems …

Gibson Family Collection, 1913-1915, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of photographs from the Gibson sisters' time at the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School, including Helen and Evva and their friends.

Helen C. Gibson Dubois (1894-1978) and Evva Louise Gibson (1896-1980) were sisters who both attended the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School (now Pittsburg State University). Evva received her first bachelor’s degree in 1918. She received a second in 1922, and a master’s degree in 1925, both from Columbia University in New York. She returned to Pittsburg in 1923 as an assistant professor at the college. In 1947, she became head of the Home Economics Department, …

Theys Family Collection, 1924-1976, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of personal correspondence, newspaper clippings, film negatives, photos and other miscellaneous materials related to the Theys Family.

The collection is largely centered on the family of Helen R. (Cole) Theys, who was born on January 26, 1922 in Frontenac, Kansas. She married Emile Theys on September 1, 1941. They were married for 26 years until his death on October 2, 1967. Emile and Helen had two children, Sharon K. Theys, and Richard Theys. She was very active in her community until she passed away on June 30, 2017.

Hanlon Family Collection, 1898-1904, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The collection includes photos, photocopies of family biographies and photos, and a funeral card. The materials primarily relate to Berthenia M (Shook) Hanlen and her children.

Berthenia M. (Shook) Hanlon was born on the 7^th of May 1842 in Green County, Wisconsin. She married John B. Hanlon (1842-1911) in 1868. Together they had seven children, and after moving several times, they eventually settled in Pittsburg, Kansas. Berthenia would pass away in 1904. There are some variations in the spelling of the last name Hanlon, some family members either changed the spelling of their last name or misspelled on the …

American Association Of University Professors Collection, 1956-1975, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection includes personal correspondence, membership lists, accounting forms & records, receipts and other miscellaneous materials related to the Pittsburg State University chapter of the AAUP.

The AAUP was founded at an organizational meeting held at the Chemists’ Club in New York City in January 1915. The mission of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, post‐doctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help …

Ward, Earl R., Collection, 1939, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of correspondence to and from Earl R. Ward regarding the establishment, history of Kansas Normal Schools.

Earl R. Ward (1902-1941) was born in Harvey, Kansas. Ward graduated from the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) in 1927, and taught in several Kansas schools, including in Rosalia and Auburn.

Treble Clef Club Collection. 1922-2015, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of the club’s meeting minutes, secretary and treasurer’s notes, programs, yearbooks, scrapbooks and music sheets.

The Treble Clef Club was chartered in Pittsburg, Kansas in 1904 by women interested in the study of music. The club originally agreed to have no more than 20 members who would meet twice a month to study composers and perform their works. In 1908 the club expanded membership due to increased interest. The first junior club, for high school girls, was started in 1922 but did not succeed. The club tried again in 1944, creating a club with 28 girls. By 1964, …

Ruff, Walter Glen, Collection, 1883-1962, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of sheet music, guides, books, and other materials related to W. Glen Ruff and his music shop.

Walter Glen Ruff (1904-1989) was born in Kansas and graduated from Fort Hays State Teachers College. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1940. Following this, he taught instrumental and vocal music on both the high school and college level. Ruff served with the American Red Cross in India and Ceylon during World War II. Afterwards, he was head of the music department at Western Carolina Teachers College. In 1950, he moved back to Kansas at opened …

Krulish, Mabel A. (Edwards), Collection, 1935-1939, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, cards, and more related to Girard High School.

Mabel A. (Edwards) Krulish (1918-2010) was born and raised in Girard, Kansas. She graduated from Girard High School in 1936, and began working in the Crawford County schools. Krulish kept a scrapbook of her senior year and of her sibling’s high school experience. In 1946, she married Frank E. Krulish (1910-2003) of New York. Frank Krulish had served as a US Marine during World War II, fighting in Iwo Jima and was among the first occupying forces in Japan. Afterwards, they lived in New York …

Stillings, Ellabeth Diggs, Collection, 1935-1987, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of personal correspondence, Pittsburg State University material, photographs, and miscellaneous material.

Ellabeth Diggs was born in Lamar, Missouri in 1916. She graduated from Lamar High School and attended the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University). Following this, she worked as a teacher at Atchison County Community High School in Effingham, Kansas until 1947. In 1943 she married Robert M. Stillings (1915-1963). She worked at Atchison High School beginning in 1948 and continued for the next three years. Afterwards, she taught sporadically and worked in the business she and her husband owned, Stillings Hardware. Ellabeth and …

Voss, Ralph F., Collection, 1986-1995, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A manuscript of Ralph F. Voss’s novel A Life of William Inge: The Strains of Triumph (University Press of Kansas, 1989).

Ralph F. Voss, a Kansas native who grew up watching the films based on Inge’s plays, is a former professor of English at the University of Alabama. He also taught at the University of Texas, East Texas State University, Atlanta Junior College, and was a visiting professor of the University of Utah. Voss’s other books include Truman Capote and the Legacy of ‘In Cold Blood,’ and Magical Muse: Millennial Essays on Tennessee Williams.

William Inge (1913-1973) was a …

Smither, Ethel Schwab, Collection, 1986-1995, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A manuscript of Ethel Schwab Smither’s novel, The Yielding Years (Edgemoor Publishers, 1995).

Ethel Schwab Smither (1893-1969) was born near Cherokee, Kansas, the eldest of seven children. She and her husband Elbert raised three children. Smither was always interested in writing, possibly using it as an escape during difficult times like the Great Depression. Her interest in writing led her to become a member of the Kansas Authors Society. By the time of her death in 1969, Smither had a large collection of completed poems and a typewritten manuscript, The Yielding Years, which was her only novel. The Yielding …

Stafford And Claire Correspondence, 1969-1978, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Stafford and Claire Letters includes one newspaper clipping, an invitation, two thank-you cards, and five letters of correspondence between William Stafford and William Clair regarding the publication of an interview between Claire, Stafford, and Primus St. John that would be featured in the National Literary Magazine’s book, The Voyage.

William Stafford was born in Hutchinson, Kansas in 1914 to Earl and Ruby Stafford. During the Great Depression he held a variety of jobs including work in beet fields, an oil refinery, and plowing. He received his B.A. from the University of Kansas in 1937. During World War II, …

Skelton, Edward, Collection, 1875-1879, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Edward Skelton diary consists of daily entries from January 1^st, to November 14^th, 1875 with purchases and expenses registered from 1878-1879. Most diary entries mention daily farm work, hangouts, the weather and Sunday School. The entries are short and also describe daily activities of plowing, cutting timber, going to the market, and visiting the neighbors.

Edward Skelton was born in 1854 and lived in Labette County, Kansas with his parents. Edward worked as a farmer and was married to Artie Storey in 1880. Edward Skelton died in 1915.

Rudesill, Henry, Papers, 1894-1895, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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These are the papers of Henry Rudesill consisting of correspondence and newspapers sent to him by his mother and father during his attendance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio.

Henry Milton Rudesill was born on May 8, 1873 in Ashland, Ohio to Henrietta Rudesill and John C. Rudesill. In 1890, the family moved from Ohio to Hutchinson, Kansas. After receiving his music education degree from the University of Kansas School of Music, Rudesill moved to Oberlin, Ohio to attend the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. While at the Conservatory, Rudesill studied organ, piano, and harp, and was a member …

Hibbard, Pauline, Diary, 1919, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A personal diary of Pauline Hibbard, written throughout the latter half of 1919, when she was 14 years old. The diary discusses her weekly activities during the summer and school year, such as church, swimming, ice cream eating, and football games.

Pauline Lang Hibbard was born March 3, 1905 in Cherryvale, Kansas to Sherburne and Dixon Hibbard. When she was 25, she became a school teacher in Cherryvale, Kansas. In the early 1930s she moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and in 1940 married Edward L. Stauffacher from St. Paul, Minnesota. At the beginning of World War II her husband was drafted …

Goodwin, Benjamin F., Papers, 1864-1945, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection includes pensions, speeches, and special orders of Benjamin Goodwin.

Benjamin Franklin Goodwin, a Civil War veteran, was born in 1834, in Steubenville, Ohio. Goodwin was married to Louisa A. Klaberg (1844-1923) in 1859, and enlisted in the Company C of the 119th Illinois Infantry Regiment in August of 1862. He began as a private and saw promotions to the rank of second lieutenant. He served in such campaigns as the Yazoo River Expedition, the River Campaign, Savannah Campaign, and the Mobile Campaign. The most notable battles he fought in was the Battle of Pleasant Hill and the Battle …

Fiddler's Fund Collection, 1970-1981, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The collection of the Fiddler’s Fund consists of letters, newspaper clippings; article, meeting minutes, IRS tax information, deposit checks, non-profit filings, scholarship applications, and bank account balance reports for a musical-support organization.

Created in 1970, the Fiddler's Fund of Pittsburg Inc. was a non-profit organization (501c3) dedicated to raising money and providing scholarships for K-12 students in need of musical instruments and lessons. In 1980, after its dissolution, the Fiddler’s Fund donated its remaining funds to the Pittsburg State University Music Department for scholarships.

Arcadia Christian Church Collection, 1894-1994, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of history papers, photographs, handouts newspapers, a letter, and a plat map all in relation to the Arcadia Christian Church, Arcadia, Kansas.

The original Arcadia Christian Church was built in 1893, although the congregation surrounding the church was started in the 1880s as a Sunday School class. In 1892, the State of Kansas granted the congregation a charter which resulted in the building’s construction. The church cost $1,600 and had an organ, a church bell (installed in 1897), and a seating capacity for 300 people. The Sunday School held at the church brought about the most participants. …

Ruggles Family Collection, 1897-1964, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of music sheets, school work, handbooks, and children’s books.

James Ruggles (1933-2015) was born to George and Zelpha Ruggles in Pittsburg, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University) in 1953, and received his medical degree from the University of Kansas in 1957. From 1963 to 1965, Ruggles worked in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. He then completed a two-year fellowship in Pathology at the University of Minnesota, and worked as a pathologist for 39 years. In 1991, he and Ramona Woolley married in Yankton, South Dakota. In his pastime, James enjoyed music, …

Purcell, Arleen, Collection, 1919-1991, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of documents and items related to Fort Scott and southeast Kansas, and Arleen Purcell’s travels and studies.

Arleen Purcell (1912-2001) was an elementary school teacher in Fort Scott, Kansas who collaborated in writing the musical Footprints on the Frontier. She was married to Ralph Emerson Purcell, with whom she had two sons. Purcell took great interest in local history and community organizations. In the 1970s, she took study abroad trips through Western Illinois University and the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) to South America.

Heady, Ray, Collection, 1958-1988, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of magazines and scrapbooks from PSU alumnus Ray Heady.

Raymond Alex Heady (1908-1991) was born in Pittsburg, Kansas and was one of America's most respected outdoor writers. Heady graduated from the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) in 1930. He also received an M.A. from the school in 1938. Heady taught journalism for nine years in several Kansas high schools. He then taught for two years each at the University of Kansas and the University of Oklahoma before joining the Kansas City Star in 1942. Serving as the outdoors editor from 1958-1973, he won …

Allan, Glenn, Scrapbook, 1944-1946, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A scrapbook of Mr. Glenn Allan’s World War II years training in the United States, and service in Guam and Saipan. Newspapers (Wichita Eagle) from May and August 1945 dealing with the surrender of Germany and the bombing and surrender of Japan.

Floyd Glenn Allan (1918-2007) was born in Wichita, Kansas. He grew up in Hutchison, Kansas and Neosho, Missouri. Prior to the war he worked as a sheet metal worker for Beechcraft in Wichita. He joined the United States Army Air Force in 1944 and trained in the United States before being assigned a post in Guam …